27.280, Review: Discourse; Pragmatics; Socioling: Stubbe, Holmes (2015)

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Subject: 27.280, Review: Discourse; Pragmatics; Socioling: Stubbe, Holmes (2015)

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Date: Thu, 14 Jan 2016 14:20:07
From: Kerry Linfoot [hydrefcariad at mail.com]
Subject: Power and Politeness in the Workplace

 
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AUTHOR: Janet  Holmes
AUTHOR: Maria  Stubbe
TITLE: Power and Politeness in the Workplace
SUBTITLE: A Sociolinguistic Analysis of Talk at Work, 2nd Edition
SERIES TITLE: Routledge Linguistics Classics
PUBLISHER: Routledge (Taylor and Francis)
YEAR: 2015

REVIEWER: Kerry Linfoot, (personal interest - not currently working at a university)

Reviews Editor: Helen Aristar-Dry

SUMMARY 

This review addresses an updated edition of an influential text on language
and communication in the professional sphere. The original edition, published
in 2003, brought to us the authors’ focus on power, politeness and context in
the workplace. It also introduced the Language in the Workplace Project (LWP),
which collected linguistic data in a New Zealand office setting for analysis.
Since the original publication of this text, work has continued. The preface
to this updated edition states it incorporates recent advances in the
theoretical underpinnings of discourse analysis, pragmatics, critical
discourse analysis (CDA), and other theories of social constructionism to
which language is inherent. These updates are also said to include
consideration of the recently growing study of impoliteness, as well as an
expanded focus on miscommunication and problematic talk.

Other updates in this text also introduce expanded data and contexts from the
LWP. These include a broadening of contexts to include more blue-collar and
pink-collar (healthcare) settings, rather than the previous focus on
white-collar meetings, as well as utilizing higher-tech recording and analysis
methodologies. Holmes and Stubbe have also expanded their foci to include
acknowledgement of multiple languages and cultures within the modern New
Zealand workplace (and the associated struggles for egalitarianism), through
recognition of ideas such as code-switching, gendered talk, and aspects of
ethnicity. These multidimensional, intersectional elements all play into the
prevailing theme introduced in the original text and maintained in this
updated volume, which places the focus on the dynamic nature of identity
construction in the workplace setting.

Chapter 1
The first chapter of this text introduces the primary concepts which are
employed throughout the subsequent analyses: power, politeness and context.
The authors are deliberate in maintaining their focus on ‘workspeak’, but do
suggest some strategies they identify as indicative of relationship building
throughout communicative behaviour and the fluid and dynamic establishment of
individual identity. In their working definition of ‘power’, Holmes and Stubbe
follow a social constructionist perspective, which allows language use to
change and build the reality in which it is utilized. They position this
definition of power within their specific context of the workplace by showing
how power might be constructed both socially (through, for example, rank and
assigned authority) and relatively (as in the situation of subject-matter
experts).

The authors quickly move to their designs for the concept of politeness within
their analysis. They state clearly and early that, “workplace interactions
provide evidence of mutual respect and concern for the feelings or face needs
of others, that is, of politeness” (p. 5). While this might initially seem to
be a little simplistic to those who have experienced more challenging,
non-traditional workplace environments, the authors state that this is
supported by their data and analysis, which illustrate “deferential
politeness” (p. 6). Holmes and Stubbe acknowledge that power plays do exist,
however, and state they include examples of CDA use that “may challenge,
contest, undermine or subvert power and authority” (p. 7).

To close out their introductory chapter, Holmes and Stubbe define their use of
the term ‘context’. This includes consideration of language use itself (and
surrounding utterances), the relationships between participants, the physical
setting and background knowledge interactants bring to the conversation, and
the wider social context of language use outside the workplace setting. This
illustrates clearly the multidimensional nature of the linguistic analysis to
be presented. The authors use examples throughout this introduction (and
throughout the entire text) to handily show the many levels at which power,
politeness, and the various levels of context interplay and interact.

The chapter ends with a nice overview of the Wellington-based Language in the
Workplace Project (LWP) and a brief, chapter-by-chapter introduction to the
book’s organization.

Chapter 2 – Data Collection
This chapter introduces what the authors describe as the “innovative and
adaptable methodology which enabled us to collect a wide range of workplace
data in very disparate contexts” (p. 28). Over the course of the LWP, Holmes
and Stubbe have increased the number of places in which data is collected.
These now include offices, meetings, and factories/small businesses. Each of
these settings offered individual challenges, and the care shown by the data
collectors to be unobtrusive, effective, and, above all, ethical is evident in
this chapter. Obviously, technology has improved since the early edition of
this text. Digital recording devices that are smaller and more manageable than
the analogue tapes of the past created more opportunities to collect high
quality data. This chapter offers a clear and detailed overview of the
methodology and the benefits to those participating in the study.

Chapter 3 – Getting Things Done
The third chapter in this updated volume deals with the complicated ways
orders are given and received in the workplace. The authors introduce the
chapter with examples of direct orders, often signalled as declarative
statements. While these types of interactions are common in the workplace,
what is more interesting, according to Holmes and Stubbe, are instances when
orders are less typical. These include times when instructions are intensified
or mitigated, according to the context in which they are given and received.
These are situations when power and politeness work together with context to
produce complex and negotiated interactions. 

The chapter discusses situations in which a request is made to someone of the
same rank/status, and the tricky process of asking something of a boss; it
then moves on to the use of hints and suggestion in accomplishing tasks at
work. With their joint focus on accomplishing the required task while
maintaining workplace relationships, the authors create both practical and
useful suggestions and observations. They conclude that tension is inherent in
asking people to do things, and this requires a complicated pattern of
negotiation to ensure attention to face concerns through balancing power and
politeness.

Chapter 4 - Meetings
Holmes and Stubbe turn their attention to one of the fundamental features of
workplace discourse in the next chapter of the book: meetings. They state,
“…meetings are the basic forum for communicating information, for planning and
organising work schedules, for making decisions and for engaging in
collaborative tasks” (p. 85). While much research has been done in this area
of workplace communication, the authors state little work has covered the
specific interaction of power and politeness in meetings. Using data from 80
separately defined meetings in 9 workplaces, the authors firstly define a
meeting, then illustrate some of the discursive strategies utilized and,
finally, provide two, in-depth case studies from workplaces with vastly
differing organisational structures. 

In the introduction to this chapter, Holmes and Stubbe also provide an
impressive list of other research and resources on meetings to which an
interested reader can refer. It is a shame, however, that this was not also
updated with this new edition. None of the research suggested comes in the
period between the first and current edition of the text. Suggested inclusions
might be more recent examples, such as Halvorsen (2013), Angouri and Marra
(2010), or Bennington, Shetler, & Shaw, (2003). The authors are clearly
familiar with several of these researchers and have, in some cases, even
collaborated with them. 

There is a great deal of information in this chapter, which really sets the
scene for many of the interactional observations that follow in the book. What
is particularly interesting, however, is the focus on the management of
interaction in meetings. While some meetings are inherently obvious in their
structure (with a higher-ranking chair conducting and managing interaction),
others require more careful negotiation. Examples here might include a project
manager leading a meeting with executives from the company also being present.
By illustrating how participants ‘do’ power by setting the meeting’s agenda,
summarizing progress, managing participant interaction, and making decisions,
the authors offer an excellent framework for their analysis. This framework,
perhaps more importantly, is clearly explained in sufficient detail to allow
other readers and researchers to follow the same system in their own work. 

Chapter 5 – Small Talk and Social Activities at Work
In Chapter 5, Holmes and Stubbe turn to the oft-overlooked area of small talk
in the workplace. It is unsurprising that, based on the interactional, social
constructive framework of their book, they would campaign and advocate for the
importance of “social talk” (the phrase they favour in this chapter to avoid
the minimizing effect of ‘small’ talk). This chapter, as with most others in
this volume, strengthens claims regarding the interactional and social nature
of workplace communication. As stated in the introduction to this chapter,
“[e]very interaction simultaneously expresses both propositional or
referential content and social or affective meaning” (p. 89). The chapter goes
on to illustrate how these meanings are negotiated and supported through
analysis of the distribution and use of social talk in the workplace. By
placing social talk on a continuum with more traditional ‘work talk’, the
authors demonstrate it is not a separate, unrelated element of workplace
communication. Instead, social talk is a positive builder of team solidarity
that provides relief from workplace tasks and/or boredom, as well as
furtherance of the company’s goals.

Chapter 6 – Humour at Work
Logically leading on from the discussion of social talk at work, Holmes and
Stubbe’s next chapter involves a first-rate overview of the use of humour in
the workplace. At the end of this chapter, the authors conclude, “[h]umour is
a valuable resource in workplace interaction, a highly flexible discourse
strategy which typically builds and maintains good relationships at work,” (p.
134). Like social talk, the authors show through examples and three nicely
chosen case studies how humour functions to build solidarity and release
tension in workplace situations. They go on to say the use of humour is also
tantamount in power negotiations and the mitigation of face threatening acts,
to include criticism and challenges. By employing humour, workers are given an
approach that allows them to momentarily decrease or level power structures
and hierarchy within an organization and, thus, to communicate with bosses or
subordinates on a more level plain. While Holmes and Stubbe acknowledge that
much truth accompanies the jests, they emphasize and illustrate the importance
of this strategy in power and politeness negotiations in the workplace.

Chapter 7 – Miscommunication and Problematic Discourse
In this chapter, Holmes and Stubbe turn to an extremely important element of
workplace communication when they examine miscommunication and problems
between workers. While they acknowledge these glitches happen less often than
might be expected, they go on to say these types of communicative challenges
are continuously highlighted by their research subjects as being a major cause
for concern. They note, “...misunderstandings and differences of opinion
inevitably take time, energy and relational skill to work through” (p. 138).
Despite the fact that examples of miscommunication were less frequently seen
than might be expected, they are, of course, troubling elements of workplace
communication. The authors highlight this by noting that many employment cases
which reach the courts will arise from miscommunication of some kind, or
perhaps escalate from problems in dealing with difficult co-workers or
clients. 
This chapter, in particular, does an excellent job of highlighting some of the
differences between the diverse ‘types’ of workplaces examined in the updated
LWP, i.e. blue vs. white collar environments and multicultural workplaces. By
using examples from these different contexts, Holmes and Stubbe illustrate
very plainly how the contexts of problematic exchanges might influence how
they are addressed, as well as which elements of relational discourse are
utilised in the repairs. For example, the sub-section discussing ‘off the
record’ conversations (p. 156ff) shows eloquently how (potential and actual)
face needs, cultural dynamics, and relational/power issues in the New Zealand
workplace are addressed sensitively, skilfully, and, often, pre-emptively. The
authors conclude that, as has been the theme throughout this book, “...power
and politeness consistently emerge as important dimensions constraining the
ways in which participants negotiate and resolve miscommunication and
problematic issues at work...” (p. 163).

Chapter 8 – Conclusions and Practical Applications of the Analyses
Holmes and Stubbe finish this updated edition of their renowned text with a
brief consideration of applications for their work. They reiterate the fact
that their research has shown the interplay of power and politeness to be at
the heart of workplace communication, which focuses on the accomplishment of
tasks as its ultimate goal. The conclusion goes on to offer brief
reconsiderations of the elements of social talk and humour, focusing on their
uses in the workplace. The discussion considers the value of these
interactions, as well as how to manage and limit them if they begin to
interfere with the final objective. The last subsection then describes one of
the practical workshops in which the data has been utilized in evaluation and
discussion (the authors use “reflection” as their term for this stage) of
particular workplace interactions.

The book concludes with a concise overview of the complex, multidimensional
analyses that were covered in the text. The authors repeat their conclusion
from the earlier edition that power and politeness are effective lenses
through which to consider workplace interactions, but concede that these may
be most effective when the interlocutors share a common goal (rather than
conflicting ones). They advocate flexibility in effective workplace
communicators and the ability to switch conversational styles as required by
each individual situation. Their examples demonstrate, they conclude, how
effective managers and employees enact this fluid, dynamic conversational
style. Their extensive database of workplace talk illustrates how goals, both
personal and organisational, are addressed through the most basic unit of
‘doing work’: talk.

EVALUATION 

Since 2003, “Power and Politeness in the Workplace” has been a ‘must read’ for
students and researchers in the fields of workplace communication and
Discourse Analysis in general. In this second edition, Holmes and Stubbe have
included advancements with their Language in the Workplace Project (LWP),
which include broader consideration of miscommunication and the increasingly
relevant area of diversity in the workplace. Building on an excellent original
version, this book expands the research areas to include more blue and pink
collar workplaces, which were not included the earlier edition.

My main concern with the updated edition of this text is the extent of the
updating. The authors mention in their introduction that recent advances in
the field have been incorporated into the revised text, but this appears
sporadic at best. To give just one example, little is given on recent advances
in the research of Impoliteness, which feeds directly into both
miscommunication and humour, two major considerations in the text.
Impoliteness was also specifically mentioned in the introduction as one of the
theoretical advances to be incorporated. To make a suggestion for a reader
interested in this area of Discourse Analysis, there is no mention in the text
of anything from Bousfield and Locher’s (2008) edited resource on
Impoliteness. This is particularly surprising as Janet Holmes is a co-author
of one of the articles contained in that volume (Schnurr, Marra & Holmes,
2008). Nor is Jonathan Culpeper, one of the leading researchers in the area of
theoretical Impoliteness (cf. Culpeper, 2011), mentioned. This is just one
area to which Holmes and Stubbe might have added some updated research to the
second edition and is clearly something with which at least one of the authors
is more than familiar.

It is clear from browsing through the bibliography of the book that some
publications which are more recent than the original 2003 edition of the book
are included. Many of these, however, are more recent publications by one or
both of the authors, Holmes and Stubbe. Clearly there is more research in this
field than two authors could possibly hope to keep up with, especially when
they are busy with their own advances! Overall, however, the updating appears
limited primarily to advances made by Holmes and Stubbe themselves and
progress with the LWP. This latter area, however, does offer significantly
more range than the examples provided in the previous edition, which is a nice
trade off. Where the updates may be lacking a little in theoretical breadth,
they more than make up for it in practical examples and applications of the
authors’ research into workplace communication.

There is no arguing with the fact that this is an exceptional piece of
research and a profound contribution to the field of Discourse Analysis. The
updates offer further insight into the ever broadening LWP, which are helpful
to those working in fields outside the ‘white collar’ industries. What is most
impressive to me, however, is that, while the authors clearly explain their
own research and results, they also offer a systematic, detailed framework
that later researchers might follow. This methodological consistency and
thoroughness permits comparison and assessment of any differences, which
contribute to future research outside of this particular book. As Holmes and
Stubbe continue with their own expansive contributions to the study of
workplace discourse and interaction, they are also paving the way for
generations of future researchers to build upon and expand/advance work in
this field.

REFERENCES 

Angouri, J. & Marra, M. (2010). “Corporate meetings as genre: a study of the
role of the chair in corporate meeting talk.” Text & Talk, 30(6), 615-636.

Bennington, A. J., Shetler, J. C. & Shaw, T. (2003). “Negotiating Order in
Interorganizational Communication: Discourse Analysis of a Meeting of Three
Diverse Organizations.” Journal of Business Communication, 40(2), 118-143. 

Bousfield, D. & Locher, M.A. (Eds.).  (2008). “Impoliteness in Language:
Studies on its Interplay with Power in Theory and Practice.” Berlin: Mouton de
Gruyter. 

Culpeper, J. (2011). “Impoliteness: using language to cause offence.”
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Halvorsen, K. (2013). “Team decision making in the workplace: A systematic
review of discourse analytic studies.” Journal of Applied Linguistics &
Professional Practice, 273-296. 

Schnurr, S., Marra, M. & Holmes, J. (2008). “Impoliteness as a means of
contesting power relations in the workplace.” In Bousfield, D. & Locher, M.A.
(Eds.).  (2008). “Impoliteness in Language: Studies on its Interplay with
Power in Theory and Practice” (211-230). Mouton de Gruyter, Berlin.


ABOUT THE REVIEWER

Kerry Linfoot received her Ph.D. in Forensic Linguistics from the University
of Florida in 2007. Her research interests focus on her own workplace
communication: police-citizen interaction. She makes particular reference to
how Pragmatic theories may be utilized to describe and account for suspicions
of lying or guilt in suspects and witnesses, and how these theories may be
used in investigative interviewing. Her current work in academia, as well as
her day-to-day job as a deputy sheriff in Colorado, involves observation of
‘first-contact’ interviews between uniformed deputies and officers in response
to calls for assistance, and how the application of linguistic theories may
maximize and harmonize the interaction.





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